This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
All internal combustion engines require some type of cooling means in order to dissipate the heat generated during the combustion process. Typical automotive applications often utilize one or more heat exchangers, which exchange heat from the engine with the cooler air of the atmosphere, via fluid coolant pumped through the engine and the one or more heat exchangers in a closed loop system.
The heat exchanger is often placed in the front of the vehicle in order to receive the most exposure to air in order to improve the efficiency of the heat exchange. Much of the air that flows through the heat exchanger is provided due to the forward motion of the vehicle (ram air), but an auxiliary fan or fans are often employed on the engine side of the heat exchanger in order to facilitate pulling air through the heat exchangers at times when forward motion of the vehicle is slow or stopped.
Associated with the one or more fans, is a shroud, which assists in directing air pulled through the heat exchanger via the fan blades. The shroud usually comprises of directing-type funnel which supports and attaches to the central fan motor(s) through a plurality of radiant spoke structures spaced around the motor allowing the air pulled from the heat exchanger to travel and exit the engine compartment.
These shroud assemblies are manufactured either by injection molding, forming, or by stamping so as to provide a monolithic structure. This design provides ease of assembly, but can cause a problem in the event that one or more of the fans, motors, or other associated components needs service. In order to service these parts, the cooling module including the shroud typically needs to be disassembled, serviced, and then reassembled, which often entails removing and reinstalling the entire cooling module, and any other components in its vicinity.
Furthermore, due to the diversity of vehicle applications, each shroud assembly is unique in design, and cannot be modified in order to address vehicle-specific issues such as fan-motor vibrations, or need for additional structural support.